Why the Modern Megachurch Can't Die

For those who ghoulishly delight in the reliable stream of church-scandal headlines, the story of Mars Hill Church in Seattle had a satisfying narrative arc. Founded in 1996, it became known for the preaching of its popular pastor, Mark Driscoll, who crossed conservative theology with a kind of bro-ish cool. But the past few years brought an onslaught of miniscandals: Driscoll was accused of plagiarism, â??spiritual abuse,â? online crassness and misogyny, buying his No. 1 slot on the New York Times best-seller list, and so on. He resigned in October. A few weeks later, the church announced it would dissolve on Jan. 1. Its central staff was let go. Its stylish website went offline. Its Wikipedia page is in the past tense. The big, bad megachurch had failed, suddenly and spectacularly.